No, but I am the product of 1500 years of continuous Christianity, and I feel a little uneasy (balanced with excited) about what comes next.

Discussions on LNF have modified my views somewhat.

The British boards just don't discuss religion, as a thing in itself.

Yes, the similar propaganda-victim hysteria about Islam and cultural concerns about the Church fading.

Talking with Rick, Writer's Block, Elmer, Mfa, Frank1 and Mike Gloster -and of course Seawolf - I have moved.I was pretty much an atheist but now I am pretty much an atheist prepared to stand in Deist shoes to feel the fit.

My reasons for not believing are that, fundamentally I see belief as wishful thinking on the part of those who really really want there to be a God so they invent one.

Dawkins explores this very well but essentially that's it.I am suspicious that the God we have is more or less the one we want, psychologically and indeed politically.

Under Capitalism, Man exploits Man.

Under Communism, it's the exact opposite.

IP Logged

BowHunter

LNF SpeakerLNF Bunker
Online

Posts: 17,043
Location: America
Joined: Dec 5th, 2013
Gender:

Re: Do You Believe In God Or Creator?Reply #3 - Aug 13th, 2017 at 1:51pm

No, but I am the product of 1500 years of continuous Christianity, and I feel a little uneasy (balanced with excited) about what comes next.

Discussions on LNF have modified my views somewhat.

The British boards just don't discuss religion, as a thing in itself.

Yes, the similar propaganda-victim hysteria about Islam and cultural concerns about the Church fading.

Talking with Rick, Writer's Block, Elmer, Mfa, Frank1 and Mike Gloster -and of course Seawolf - I have moved.I was pretty much an atheist but now I am pretty much an atheist prepared to stand in Deist shoes to feel the fit.

My reasons for not believing are that, fundamentally I see belief as wishful thinking on the part of those who really really want there to be a God so they invent one.

Dawkins explores this very well but essentially that's it.I am suspicious that the God we have is more or less the one we want, psychologically and indeed politically.

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, bro, but what comes next is pretty obvious... nothing.

You may find that depressing but at least it beats the hell out of spending an eternity... in hell... or anywhere for that matter...

can you imagine an ETERNITY... it must be pretty awful... once you've done everything a billion times... you'll still have an eternity ahead of you!

My belief, after many years of cogitating on it, is that most "religious" societies were composed of people who wouldn't know Jesus (or Mohammed or Allah, take your pick of any others) if He walked up to them and slapped them upside the head with a wet dishrag. True, church attendance used to be much higher, but it was due to the perceived stigma associated with non-attendance or laws requiring it and punishing for non compliance, not any "religiosity" of the crowd. Societies were no more "religious" then than they are now. Individuals are just freer to be themselves in public. And I think that's a good thing, frankly.

non sumus stulti

IP Logged

EF

LNF House LeaderThe Writer's CroftLNF Bunker
Online

Posts: 8,111
Joined: Jan 21st, 2012

Re: Do You Believe In God Or Creator?Reply #9 - Aug 13th, 2017 at 10:55pm

No, but I am the product of 1500 years of continuous Christianity, and I feel a little uneasy (balanced with excited) about what comes next.

Discussions on LNF have modified my views somewhat.

The British boards just don't discuss religion, as a thing in itself.

Yes, the similar propaganda-victim hysteria about Islam and cultural concerns about the Church fading.

Talking with Rick, Writer's Block, Elmer, Mfa, Frank1 and Mike Gloster -and of course Seawolf - I have moved.I was pretty much an atheist but now I am pretty much an atheist prepared to stand in Deist shoes to feel the fit.

My reasons for not believing are that, fundamentally I see belief as wishful thinking on the part of those who really really want there to be a God so they invent one.

Dawkins explores this very well but essentially that's it.I am suspicious that the God we have is more or less the one we want, psychologically and indeed politically.

The Bible actually says this. It goes on to say that the Creator must reveal Himself to His creation by a means other than simply letting people see the creation. Hence, the Word. Absent that, people seeing a creation will instinctively know there must be a creator and attempt to find out who it is and do what it takes keep him happy. i.e. - they make it up.

I read a story (true story) once about a tribe of Indians in the Natchez area. Built a big mound, Emerald Mound is its name today. That mound had a smaller mound on it. On that smaller mound lived an Indian whose job it was to get up when still dark and "coax" the sun up over the horizon. His failure to do so would mean the sun would not rise and death would be imminent. That Indian was a real big shot in the tribe.

I can't imagine what he thought when he, inevitably, overslept the first time and it came up anyway. Reckon he told anybody? I don't. Who would give up a gig like that?

The Book says that people (most, anyway, and certainly nearly all back in the day when the Bible was written) seeing a creation will know there is a creator. But the Book also says that absent a revelation from that creator, they cannot know anything else about him other than he created.